The present invention generally relates to collecting material, such as bone or tissue, during a surgical procedure.
Apparatus and methods for collecting bone material are well known. Representative apparatus and methods are disclosed, for example, in the following references: U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,624,418; 5,766,134; 5,954,961; 6,007,496; 6,299,763; 7,204,810; 7,214,059; 7,758,556; USPA Publ. 2007/0016100; USPA Publ. 2007/0203471; USPA Publ. 2007/0225665; USPA Publ. 2008/0071192; USPA Publ. US2009/0306669; and WO 2003/073945. Each of these references is hereby incorporated herein by reference for at least the purposes of disclosing certain contexts and technologies that are pertinent to the present invention.
Generally speaking, operations, such as spinal fusions, require the use of autologous, cancellous bone. The use of this bone is generally preferred; however, the collection methods currently available can be arduous and messy, and some are quite complicated. Indeed, some conventional collection techniques even require the user to pour the contents of blood and bone onto an absorbable pad, such as those sold under the “Telfa” trademark.
In view of known apparatus and methods for collecting bone material, it is believed that one or more needs exist for improvement in apparatus and methods related to collecting bone material during a surgical procedure. This, and other needs, are addressed by one or more aspects of the present invention.